Untitled
by Catharine
Summary: Mainly about minor members of the crew. Starts out slow, but will get better, promise!
1. Chapter 1

Prologue  
  
"All right. That settles it. The Hazard Team is hereby commissioned. I want lists from all of you of people you recommend to be trained for the job. Commander Chakotay and I will decide on who will be the commanding officer. Dismissed," Captain Janeway concluded the morning briefing.  
  
The members of the room stood and left the room, leaving her alone with Chakotay. She looked at him evenly.  
  
"Why do I think I'm about to get a list?" she asked.  
  
"It didn't take me long to figure out who is skilled enough to survive the training," Chakotay replied, handing her a PADD.  
  
"That sets my theory to rest," she said, taking the PADD from him.  
  
"What's that?" he asked.  
  
"That you never pay attention during my briefings," she said with a half smile.  
  
Chakotay smiled and sat silently as she read the list of names he had given her. She nodded slight a few times, then stopped abruptly. She looked up at him, her face devoid of emotion.  
  
"Connolly?" she asked.  
  
Chakotay took a deep breath before he explained his choice.  
  
"Elizabeth Connolly is a fine officer," he began.  
  
"I don't doubt that," Kathryn interrupted. "But what makes you think she is command material?"  
  
"Well, she seems the most qualified. While she was still in the Maquis, she proved to be resourceful in a tight situation. Many times we ran into a situation that involved invasion of an enemy vessel and Connolly was the one I sent. Every time, without fail, she would get the job done and bring her team back, unscathed if possible. She is the best officer on this ship for that position. Check her records if you want to. They'll tell you the same things I just did," he explained.  
  
Kathryn sat for a minute, thinking about what Chakotay had just said. Personally, she thought appointing Lieutenant Foster as commanding officer of the Hazard Team was a better idea. He was a more experienced officer and had been a member of the security detail since Voyager had left Deep Space Nine. Lieutenant Connolly was still a Jr. grade lieutenant and had only been on security for three years. She had left Starfleet just barely out of the academy to join the Maquis. Still, like Chakotay had said, her Maquis intelligence file that had been given to Kathryn to review before Voyager departed from Deep Space Nine had proven that during her time with the Maquis she had shown quite a knack for getting out of sticky situations. The Starfleet personnel file she had managed to put together while at the academy and on her first mission had proven that she would be a useful officer in the field. During her survival training, she had taken charge and gotten her group back to base camp in record time with no casualties and only minimal dehydration. Kathryn nodded.  
  
"Lieutenant Foster's feelings may be hurt by this, but you win. Have Lieutenant Connolly report to my ready room after her shift. I want to see if she'll accept this position and it's responsibilities. And schedule her for Alpha shift for the next few weeks. I want to get to know her a little better," she said, standing.  
  
"Sure you want another hot Irish temper on the bridge?" Chakotay asked with a sly smile.  
  
Kathryn perked and eyebrow and headed for the door of the briefing room that led to the bridge.  
  
"I agreed with you on Elizabeth Connolly. Let's see who I can scratch off this list," she said with a smile as they left the briefing room to return to the bridge. 


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 1  
  
Ensign Lumelle Maia turned the corner on deck 3, watching as the chestnut brown head of her friend, Lieutenant Elizabeth Connolly, got further away from her.  
  
"Beth! Hey, Beth, wait up!" she called.  
  
Elizabeth stopped and turned around to see where the voice calling her had come from. She smiled when she saw Lumelle.  
  
"Hurry up, I'm late," she said.  
  
"Where are you in such a hurry to get to?" Lumelle asked, catching her breath.  
  
"I have an appointment with the captain," Elizabeth answered, scrolling through the PADD she held.  
  
"The captain? What does she want you for?" Lumelle asked, tucking a few strands of her light brown hair that had escaped from her bun behind her ear.  
  
Elizabeth shrugged.  
  
"Chakotay didn't say," she said as they rounded the corner to the turbolift.  
  
"Chakotay?" Lumelle asked.  
  
Elizabeth nodded.  
  
"Did he deliver it personally or by com?" Lumelle asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.  
  
"In person," Elizabeth answered as they stopped at the turbolift and she pressed the wall panel. "Why?"  
  
"You're getting a promotion," Lumelle stated matter-of-factly.  
  
Elizabeth's blue-gray eyes flicked up from the PADD she was reading.  
  
"What makes you think that?" she asked.  
  
"It was important enough for him to find you and tell you himself. Oh my God! This is so exciting!" Lumelle said, excitedly.  
  
The lift doors opened and Elizabeth walked on.  
  
"You're making me nervous!" she said with a big smile. "Don't get your hopes up, but I'll let you know later."  
  
The doors closed and nerves instantly wrapped around Elizabeth's stomach and squeezed.  
  
"Deck one," she ordered.  
  
The lift surged into motion and she started to fiddle with the PADD she held. What if it was a promotion? She shook her head. There was no room for promotions on Voyager. Not right now anyway. Now her gut really twisted. Had she done something wrong? She shook her head again and took a deep breath. 'Calm down. You've faced worse than the wrath of Kathryn Janeway,' she told herself.  
  
The lift stopped and the doors opened to reveal the bridge, the starscape flying by at warp seven on the view screen. Elizabeth took another deep breath and exited the lift. She smiled at Tuvok as she walked passed his station and he nodded in return. She looked at Chakotay and covered her stomach while making a face to tell him that she was nervous. He smiled and shook his head, than mouthed 'don't worry.' Elizabeth nodded. I did not matter what was wrong or what kind of situation she was facing, if Chakotay said she had nothing to worry about, she had nothing to worry about.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Ensign Liam O'Donnell walked into the mess hall in search of Elizabeth. He spotted Lumelle sitting at a table by the window, by herself, reading a PADD and eating her dinner. She felt his eyes on her and looked up. She smiled and waved him over.  
  
"Lumelle, have you seen Liz?" he asked.  
  
She nodded.  
  
"She said she had a appointment with the captain," she told him, placing her PADD down on the table. "I think she's getting a promotion."  
  
"Why?" he asked, sitting down across from her.  
  
Lumelle sighed.  
  
"I think she should be the one to tell you all about it. She'll be here in a little while if you want to wait," she said.  
  
Liam shrugged.  
  
"If you don't mind," he said  
  
* * * * *  
  
Elizabeth entered the captain's ready room with no clue as to why she had been asked there. Captain Janeway smiled when she saw her. 'Well, it must be something good,' Elizabeth thought.  
  
"Hello, Lieutenant. Have a seat," the Captain said, gesturing to one of the chairs that sat on the other side of her desk.  
  
Elizabeth sat down warily.  
  
"I'm sure you're wondering why I've asked to speak with you. Well, I have a proposition for you. Lieutenant Torres submitted a proposal for an elite group of officers called the Hazard Team. In a nutshell, they would respond to any sort of hazardous condition on Voyager such as a warp core breach of a coolant leak in engineering," Kathryn began slowly. "Commander Chakotay has recommended you to be commanding officer of the Hazard Team. If you feel you can fulfill the duties that the position entails and are willing to go through the training, I would be glade to promote you to full grade Lieutenant and give you command of the Hazard Team."  
  
Elizabeth blinked and sat back in the chair she sat in. She covered her mouth with her hand, not wanting to say something she would regret. Kathryn saw the emotions playing on her face and slid a PADD across the desk.  
  
"These are the duties that you will be expected to preform, the training you and your appointed team will go through, and the Starfleet protocols that apply to you. Take it with you and think it over. In two days contact either Commander Chakotay or myself with your decision," she said.  
  
Elizabeth sat silently for a few moments, then took her hand away from her mouth.  
  
"I don't need two days, Captain. I'll do it," she said.  
  
Kathryn nodded slightly.  
  
"I appreciate your eagerness, Lieutenant, but take your time. Think about it. It's a pretty big decision," she said.  
  
Elizabeth sat forward and picked up the PADD of information.  
  
"Thank you, Captain," she said.  
  
"Dismissed," Kathryn concluded.  
  
Elizabeth stood, eager to share the news with her friends. As she approached the door, she stopped and turned back to face the Captain.  
  
"Captain?" she asked.  
  
Kathryn looked up at her questioningly.  
  
"Thank you for having faith in me," Elizabeth said before exiting the room.  
  
Kathryn smiled. Maybe Elizabeth Connolly was a good choice after all.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Liam and Lumelle looked up as the mess hall doors opened for the umteenth time in the passed 20 minutes and sighed in displeasure when it turned out not to be Elizabeth.  
  
"What is taking so long?" Liam asked.  
  
"Maybe she's not getting a promotion. Maybe she's in trouble," Lumelle pointed out.  
  
Liam looked out at the stars zipping by at warp seven and started to twirl a bit of his jet black hair between his fingers. Lumelle smiled. He was so predictable! Elizabeth did not know, but Liam had a serious thing for her. He had never told her directly, but he did not have to. Lumelle's mother had been a Betazoid and early in her life, she had learned that she possessed the ability to sense people emotions. Unfortunately, her telepathic abilities were unpredictable, so when she did sense something, it was usually unwillingly. She had sensed Liam's affection toward Elizabeth many times. It was usually strongest when they were in the same room. What really got to her was the fact that Elizabeth felt the same was about Liam. Of course, she would never tell either of them that they should tell the other. Not if she wanted to avoid a tongue lashing.  
  
The mess hall doors opened again and Elizabeth walked through reading a PADD.  
  
"She is constantly reading," Lumelle commented.  
  
"When she's not writing," Liam added.  
  
Elizabeth looked up from the PADD of information that the Captain had given her, suddenly feeling like she was being watched. She noticed Liam and Lumelle sitting at a table smiling at her and she smiled in return as she made her way over to them through the maze of mess hall tables.  
  
"Well?" Lumelle asked when she was in earshot.  
  
Elizabeth smiled and looked from Lumelle to Liam before taking a deep breath.  
  
"I got a promotion," she said, softly.  
  
Lumelle and Liam smiled and started to stand.  
  
"Actually, I got offered a promotion," Elizabeth continued.  
  
Lumelle and Liam sat back in their chairs with questioning looks on their faces.  
  
"What do you mean offered?" Liam asked.  
  
Elizabeth sat down next to Liam and placed her PADD on the table.  
  
"I mean I've been offered the position of CO of the Hazard Team, something B'Elanna came up with. It I accept, I'll be a full grade Lieutenant," she told them.  
  
"That's great! Congratulations, Liz," Liam said.  
  
"That's awesome! You did accept, right? I mean you're going to?" Lumelle asked.  
  
"Of course!" Elizabeth answered. "I mean, I accepted right away, but the Captain wants me to go over all of this"-she held up the PADD-"and think it over. In two days I'm supposed to let either her or Chakotay know my decision."  
  
They sat silently for a few moments.  
  
"Well," Liam broke the silence, "what is the Hazard Team?"  
  
"In short, a team of officers trained to respond to bio-hazards onboard ship and off. Apparently Tuvok is going to give the training. From the information that the Captain gave me, it looks like the training would only take a few weeks once the hazard suits are designed," Elizabeth explained.  
  
"And the designer would be . . ." Lumelle trailed off.  
  
Elizabeth nodded.  
  
"Seven," they said in unison.  
  
"Your favorite person," Lumelle said.  
  
"Yeah, but being CO, I get to have a hand in the designing. So, we can be assured that they wont be too awful," Elizabeth said.  
  
Chell walked up to their table with a smile on his big, blue face.  
  
"Good evening, would you like to hear the dinner menu?" he asked.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Elizabeth pinched the bridge of her nose as she watched Seven and Tuvok "discuss" the design changes for the hazard suits. Four days ago she had been honored to be given command of the Hazard Team. Now she wished she was anywhere but in the hololab. An image of one of the hazard suits spun slowly in front of the trio. It looked like an environmental suit, only it was black with a red stripe across the shoulders and had a utility belt. Seven entered a few modifications into the console in front of her and protective armor appeared over the shins of the suit. Elizabeth snapped.  
  
"Wait a minute," she said, rather annoyed. "Neither of you are going to have to wear this thing. This much armor is going to weigh down the wearer."  
  
"You have another suggestion?" Seven asked.  
  
"Of course," Elizabeth said, trying to keep her voice from betraying her annoyance with Seven.  
  
"Then, please, proceed, Lieutenant," Tuvok said.  
  
"Thank you. Now, this thing doesn't have to be this mean looking. It's a hazard suit. It's not like we're going into battle," Elizabeth said.  
  
"The Hazard Team will need protection against every possible situation . . ." Seven began.  
  
"We are the Hazard Team, Seven. These suits are supposed to protect us from environmental hazards, not alien weaponry," Elizabeth interrupted.  
  
Seven's spine noticeably stiffened.  
  
"You have a better idea, I suppose," she said rather annoyed.  
  
'Borg superiority my foot,' Elizabeth thought.  
  
"As a matter of fact, I do. Computer display program Connolly0137," Elizabeth said.  
  
A figure that closely resembled Elizabeth appeared where the other had been. The suit that covered it was tight-fitting, black with a red command strip, and the hands were gloved in black. It had a utility belt and phaser and tricorder holsters on either hip. On the legs, shoulders, and forearms, the suit bulged and was ribbed where the armor was. A helmet adorned the head with a visor and the Federation logo on the side. The doors to the hololab opened and B'Elanna and Chakotay walked in.  
  
"Hey, that's pretty good," B'Elanna commented, walking closer to the figure of Elizabeth in the hazard suit. "It's a little tight-fitting, but I like it."  
  
"Thanks," Elizabeth said, handing her the PADD she held. "Take a look."  
  
B'Elanna skimmed the PADD and shrugged.  
  
"Medical system, environmental system, maneuverability, armor . . . it's a great place to start, Liz, but it needs more than just medical and environmental systems. What about the armor? How would the energy packs recharge?" she asked.  
  
"That's where we need Seven's Borg ingenuity. I was looking through some old 20th century television shows about the future. I found one that had an idea that I found interesting. They designed microscopic robots, much like nanoprobes, that they called nanites. These nanites would regenerate their ships hull plating when it was damaged. The only difference between nanites and nanoprobes is that once nanites repaired the damage to the hull, they would disintegrate . . ." Elizabeth trailed off.  
  
"So . . . we create our own breed of nanites to repair the suit's armor when it's damaged, but we make them durable," B'Elanna said.  
  
"Exactly," Elizabeth said.  
  
"What do you say, Seven? Feel like creating a new breed of nanoprobe?" Chakotay asked.  
  
Seven raised an eyebrow.  
  
"I will work with the Doctor to find a way to reprogram some nanoprobes to regenerate the armor that Lieutenant Connolly has placed in the hazard suit," she said.  
  
"Good," Chakotay said.  
  
"Now, we need to figure out how to recharge the energy packs," B'Elanna said, crossing her arms.  
  
"Several forms of energy alien to the Federation can be converted to usable energy. I would suggest that we design some form of device to locate and use alien energy nodules to download energy to the energy packs," Tuvok said.  
  
Chakotay nodded.  
  
"B'Elanna, you and Tuvok work on a device. Seven, report to sickbay and inform the Doctor of our plans. Liz, you come with me," he said before heading for the door.  
  
Elizabeth followed him into the corridor and they fell into step together.  
  
"What's up?" she asked.  
  
"I thought you might like to know who will be on your team," he said, handing her a PADD.  
  
"You assigned people already?" she asked, eagerly taking the PADD from him.  
  
"It didn't take long for word to spread around the ship that the Captain had okayed the Hazard Team idea. Between the Captain, Tuvok, and myself, we got over 60 applicants," he told her.  
  
"Most of them were ex-Maquis, weren't they?" she asked.  
  
"Not as many as you'd think," Chakotay replied.  
  
Elizabeth scrolled through the list, smiling as the names of some of her friends came up, ex-Maquis and Starfleet. She stopped suddenly in the corridor. Chakotay took a few more steps before stopping and turning around. He noticed the look on her face and shrugged.  
  
"What?" he asked, putting his hands on his hips.  
  
"Pulling the Janeway is not going to help you, old man," Elizabeth said, raising an eyebrow and crossing her arms.  
  
Chakotay sighed and dropped his arms to his sides.  
  
"What's the matter, Liz?" he asked, knowing full well what her problem was.  
  
"Why is Seven on this list?" she asked, slowly, tapping the PADD on her forearm.  
  
Chakotay sighed again.  
  
"Calm down, Liz. She isn't in command or even second in command. Plus, she's on Beta squad, you're on Alpha squad," he told her.  
  
"That doesn't answer my question, Chakotay," Elizabeth said, her voice growing angrier.  
  
"The captain wants her there," Chakotay said.  
  
Elizabeth let out an exasperated sigh and rolled her eyes, dropping one arm to her side and subconsciously rubbing her forehead.  
  
"Its not going to kill you, Liz," Chakotay said.  
  
"It might," she snapped back.  
  
"I suggest you learn to live with it, Lieutenant," he said, his voice growing increasingly angry.  
  
Elizabeth took a deep breath to still her temper. She knew better than to provoke Chakotay, especially if he could do nothing about the situation.  
  
"All right," she said through clenched teeth. "I'll be nice." 


End file.
